Crowd cheering at the opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Author: Gerhard van Niekerk
On Friday, the 8th of September, the Rugby World Cup 2023 kicked off in Paris, France, four years on from arguably one of the most successful rugby world cups ever hosted – in Japan. When discussing international test match rugby, Japan is perhaps not one of the first nations one thinks of. However, since Japan’s historic upset over South Africa’s Springboks at the 2015 World Cup hosted in England, rugby pundits and ordinary viewers have watched keenly to see what this fledgling rugby nation can achieve. With the rugby spirit in the air for this year’s tournament, it is fitting to reflect on Japan’s past world cup achievements, this against the sport’s growing popularity in an otherwise baseball-obsessed country.
Rugby in Japan started with the creation of the Yokohama Foot Ball Club in 1866, largely being grown by naval personnel from the United States and Europe. The earliest record of local Japanese men engaging in the sport was when Professor Edward Bramwell Clarke and Ginnosuke Tanaka, both Cambridge University graduates, introduced the game to Japanese students at Keio University in Tokyo. Inevitably, the sport started to gain steady participation by local Japanese men, especially after the Keio University rugby team organised a match with the “Yokohama Foreigners”. This game demonstrated that the social barriers between local Japanese men and foreigners could be broken down through sport. As such, foreigners were set to play a large role in the growth of the game in Japan.[1]
The early 1900s demonstrated that the game of rugby had a bright future in Japan. By the 1920s, Japan hosted more than 1,500 rugby clubs and more than 60,000 registered amateur players, more than Ireland, Wales and Scotland combined. The sport was still negatively affected by relative isolationism in Japan at the time, however. By the 1970s, Japan had been organising regular tours between national teams and universities. At the same time, Japan demonstrated an ability to attract regular crowds above 20,000, to games played by the national team as well as university teams. This was a feat not many rugby playing nations could claim, although, much of this is due to large support attracted from the Japanese upper class. In 1971, Shiggy Konno, a well-known post-Second World War Japanese rugby proponent, remarked about the smaller size of Japanese players against their European opponents. However, Konno stated, their small size led to their players being able to get to the ball quicker and to move around faster than their opponents, and that the nation needed to play to these strengths.[2] This was a powerful foreshadowing moment for how the Japanese would come to play in the modern era of the game.
Despite being proponents of keeping rugby an amateur sport in the mid to late-1900s – like most of the rugby playing nations at the time – rugby in Japan was driven by large corporations which started to employ many foreigners who came to boost the profile of the game.[3] Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, whose term ended in 2001, even stepped in to become president of the national Japanese Rugby Football Union in 2005. This was done in order to boost Japan’s credibility to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which was awarded to New Zealand in the end.[4] In 2013, the Japan Rugby Football Union realeased a statement on rugby in Japan. It found that there were 3,620 rugby clubs and 122,598 players, including pre-teenage to adult level.[5] This is impressive growth in the sport, however, the nation is still bottlenecked by the limited competition it gets from nearby Asian nations, as Japan is by far the most developed rugby nation in East Asia.[6]
The lengthy and interesting history of rugby in Japan notwithstanding, the country has generally been considered a minnow on the world rugby stage where powerful teams like New Zealand, South Africa, France and Australia, among others, have long dominated. This changed dramatically on the faithful day in Brighton, England, on the 19th of September 2015, when winger Karne Hesketh scored a last minute try to conclude the match 32-34 in the Brave Blossom’s favour against a strong South African side. Labelled the “greatest Rugby World Cup shock ever”, or the “Brighton Miracle”, this event sparked more widespread, popular interest in rugby in Japan.[7] Japan went on to win three games out of four in the pool stages, but were denied the opportunity to compete in the knockout stages due to Scotland and South Africa’s bonus point wins in their pool matches.[8] Despite this, Japan’s performance in the 2015 tournament set in motion growing domestic and youth interest in the game, increased investment in the Japanese Top League, the further professionalisation of the sport in the country, and improvements in sporting infrastructure.[9]
The scene was thus set for Japan to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which was approved by the then International Rugby Board (later renamed to World Rugby) in 2009.[10] Due to it being the first “non-traditional” rugby nation to host the World Cup, there was some angst among pundits and ordinary viewers that the event might not have the same charm as it had in the dominant nations.[11] These fears were readily set to rest as Japan’s transport and sporting infrastructure could easily handle the large number of fans. Moreover, the event was hailed as the most profitable Rugby World Cup thus far, adding US$2.84 billion to the Japanese GDP. It was also the most viewed, most competitive, best attended, and most socially engaged out of the previous nine World Cups.[12] This occurred despite the occurrence of Typhoon Hagibis, which threatened to disrupt a major part of the event. However, due to the Japanese government’s experience with disruptive weather, it managed to cancel only three inconsequential pool games.[13]
Japan’s performance at their own World Cup was something out of the ordinary. The Brave Blossoms managed to not only reach the knockout stages, but they achieved a clean sweep in their pool, a pool in which pundits thought they would not be able to exit. The Japanese fielded a nimble team which demonstrated its ability to play an attractive style of running rugby that neutral viewers around the world came to admire. Their streak, however, was ended by the very nation credited for their newfound gains in confidence, the Springboks. On the 20th of October 2019, the Brave Blossoms were knocked out of the tournament their nation was hosting after losing 28-3 to South Africa.[14]
Historically, rugby has been the domain of a select group of nations with strong rugby traditions, such as New Zealand, England, South Africa, and Australia. These nations have consistently dominated international rugby, leaving little room for non-traditional rugby nations to make a mark.[15] Japan’s victories over these established rugby giants in 2015 and 2019 shattered this perception of exclusivity. It demonstrated that, with dedication, development, and the right strategies, even non-traditional rugby nations can compete at the sport’s highest level. Japan’s success serves as a powerful source of inspiration for emerging rugby nations across the globe. It has shown that with the right investment in infrastructure, player development, and coaching, these nations can aspire to upset the traditional rugby hierarchy. Japan’s achievements have ignited hope and determination among minnow rugby nations, encouraging them to invest in the sport and believe in their potential to achieve remarkable results on the world stage.[16]
The world is now watching to see what the Japanese will do next in this year’s Rugby World Cup and beyond. On the 10th of September, Japan played its first pool match of the tournament against Chile. Japan again displayed their attacking prowess with their flashy line-up of fast-footed speedsters to win comfortably with a score of 42-12; gaining a crucial bonus point win.[17] Their second match was against the runners-up of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, England, on the 17th of September. In this match the Brave Blossoms demonstrated their grit and determination, but were outclassed by the Red Roses to lose the game 34-12.[18] Their third match was against Samoa on the 28th of September during which Japan downed their opponents 28-22, a close game against a Somoan team which is also considered to be resurging, after many years of malperformance.[19] Their fourth and final pool match was against Argentina on the 8th of October, which had one point more than Japan sitting second in the pool.[20] This match saw both teams giving it their all, as a loss by either one was equivalent to booking a trip back home. Japan succumbed, but it certainly is a team to watch in the future.
[1] Galbraith, Mike, “1866 and all that:the untold early history of rugby in Japan .” The Japan Times, March 15, 2014. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/03/15/lifestyle/1866-and-all-that-the-untold-early-history-of-rugby-in-japan/#.VOwbNYbXerU
[2] Grey, Becky. “Rugby World Cup: One man’s search into Japan’s mysterious rugby history.” BBC, October 1, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/49878877
[3] Galbraith, Mike, “1866 and all that:the untold early history of rugby in Japan .” The Japan Times, March 15, 2014. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/03/15/lifestyle/1866-and-all-that-the-untold-early-history-of-rugby-in-japan/#.VOwbNYbXerU
[4]Japan Rugby. “Key Events in JRFU History.” n.d. http://en.rugby-japan.jp/jrfu/#:~:text=In%202005%2C%20Yoshiro%20Mori%20was,the%20Rugby%20World%20Cup%202019.
[5]International Rugby Board. “Japan Rugby Profile,” 21 December, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121230041646/http://www.irb.com/unions/union=11000010/index.html
[6] The Economist. “Japan’s Rugby World Cup Success was Improbable. Can it keep up?.” 20 October, 2019. https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/10/20/japans-rugby-world-cup-success-was-improbable-can-it-keep-it-up
[7] Stevens, Rob. “Rugby World Cup 2015: South Africa 32-34 Japan.” BBC, September 19, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/34269878.
[8] “Japan – Rugby World Cup Memorable Moments.” World Ruby. Accessed September 27, 2023. https://www.world.rugby/photo-gallery/420395/japan-rugby-world-cup-2015?lang=en.
[9] Iwabuchi, Kensuke. Interview. By Daisuke Tsuchiya. “The Rise of Japanese Rugby.” June 21, 2022. Brunswick Group. https://www.brunswickgroup.com/japanese-rugby-chairman-iwabuchi-i21590/.
[10]Rugby World Cup. “RWC 2019 Media Information.” February 12, 2016. https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/138379.
[11] Hurst, Daniel. “Rugby World Cup committee warns Japan not to run out of beer.” The Guardian, May 6, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/06/rugby-world-cup-committee-warns-japan-not-to-run-out-of-beer.
[12] Rugby World Cup. “RWC 2019 Delivers Record Economic, Social and Sporting Outcomes For Japan.” June 24, 2020. https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/572269/rwc-2019-delivers-record-economic-social-and-sporting-outcomes-for-japan.
[13] Rugby World Cup. “Typhoon Hagibis Impact on Rugby World Cup 2019 Matches.” October 10, 2019. https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/505639#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20World%20Rugby,been%20informed%20and%20are%20understanding.
[14] Fox Sports. “Fairytale over for Brave Blossoms as Springboks power into semis.” October 20, 2019. https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/rugby-world-cup/live-rugby-world-cup-japan-vs-south-africa-live-score-updates-news-blog/news-story/0713fec27e7f8aeb0c6102579d571dde.
[15] Wright, Jared. “’The death of tier 2 rugby’: Fans slam plans for new global international rugby tournament.” Planet Rugby. July 1, 2023. https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-death-of-tier-2-rugby-fans-slam-plans-for-new-global-international-rugby-tournament.
[16] Iwabuchi, Kensuke. Interview. By Daisuke Tsuchiya. “The Rise of Japanese Rugby.” June 21, 2022. Brunswick Group. https://www.brunswickgroup.com/japanese-rugby-chairman-iwabuchi-i21590/.
[17] Ultimate Rugby. “Japan versus Chile RWC 2023.” Accessed 27 September, 2023. https://www.ultimaterugby.com/match/japan-vs-chile-at-stadium-de-toulouse-10th-sep-2023/87839.
[18] Kitson, Robert. “England use lucky break to beat Japan but bonus-point win marred by boos.” September 17, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/sep/17/england-japan-rugby-world-cup-match-report.
[19]Super Sport.”Japan versus Samoa 28 September.” 28 September, 2023. https://supersport.com/rugby/match/87dbc9f1-649b-48e0-9ec5-523f9bf1f2d3
[20] Japan Rugby. “Rugby World Cup Match Schedule Revealed.” February 26, 2021. http://en.rugby-japan.jp/2021/02/26/rugby-world-cup-2023-match-schedule-revealed/.